The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-05-12
EDITOR O'BRIEN.
His Patriotic Address to the
Kanucks.
A STRONG PLEA FOR SYMPATHY
His Scoring OF Lansdowne and DepTe
cation OF Emergency Men" In
Evicting Irish Tenants.

| MONTREAL, May 11.-From the COM
plete success in every way attending
the meeting this evening, at which
Editor William O'Brien, of United Ire
land, delivered his address against
Lord Lansdowne, most of the rumors
have been discredited regarding any
thing in the nature of disturbance, so
far, at all events, as this city is con-
cerned. The meeting was held under the
i auspices of the local branch of the
Irish National League. The hall,
which is capable of accommodating 200
people, was filled by an enthusiastic
audience, amongst whom was a
large representation of French
Canadians. During the several
name was Kissed, O'Brien's appear
ance on the platform was the signal of
an outburst of cheers which lasted
several minutes.
O'Brien said: "My first duty is to
thank the people of Montreal, and from
the bottom of my heart l do, for the
extraordinary kindness have received
since l entered this beautiful city. both
from those who agree with me and
from those.who differ with me. l de-
sire to tackle the question why have
come to Canada to ask q hear
iag, and to ask your sympathy.
[ will tell you in other words, because
it comes from the people of Luggacur
ran, far away in Ireland, who are desc
late tonight, and because the man who
is responsible for it is here in the highest
post of honor in this great, free
land. I am only stranger, no doubt,
and Lord Lansdowne is very great,
high lord, but judging by the feeling
have experienced in Montreal to day,
don't think l need apologize for coming
here in our hour OF need, to claim your
| sympathy aud your assistance to save
| the suffering tenantry of Ireland from
determination by money, and the Can
adian Governor-General. 1t is no pleas
ure to us to worry you with our grlev-
ances, but where else are we to turn,
when Lord Lansdowne sends soldiers
and an army of police to dispossess
every tenant III Luggac1rran. and fling
| the old men and little children out by
the bitches? Our enemies are not con-
tent with disarming in O physical sense.
The Tory government are passing
a coercion bill through Parliament at
this moment to disarm us even of our
organization, to break down the only
| protection the teDantry of Ireland have
left, to place US on plank
bed if we attempt to appeal
to public opinion against such cruel
deeds of Lord Lansdowne. The. whole
country may be swept and plunged into
wretchedness and sorrow, but it will be
crime for US to organize public
meeting or to write an article in
newspaper denouncing it. Where
are we to turn, if not to
public opinion of kindred lands, or is it
to be crime for US to appeal to you,
our countrymen and our kindred? You
can save the teEantry of Luggacurran
and you alone can save them
from the fate that overlook
perhaps the fathers of many
ago in the great clearances when
landlords had it all their own way in
Ireland. If we come to Canada to ask
you to befriend US, and to save our
people, it is because this is not the
first time that Canada has stood be-
tween the Irish people and their OPP
pressors. Our great leader, Parnell,
has said he never again will beg the
world for aims for Irish landlordism.
| We are now begging, not for aims, but
to enable us to uproot that whole system
of Irish landlordism. We do not
come to ask for $4,000 for charity
any more. but to ask you to consider
what use Lord Lansdowne is making OF
the 900 a year which you give, or
which you enable him to get, and If that
be put to bad and inhuman use, we ask
you to convey your censure on Lans-
downe as you have a perfect rlght 10
| do, as the free citizens of self-govern
ing nation. The day you send Lord
Lansdowne home with the stamp OF
Canadian disaffection on his brow, you
will enable US to laugh at coercion and
strengthen the arms of Gladstone, TO
put an end to evictions for all time.
Mr.. O'Brien then quoted from lengthy
reports in the Dublin Freeman Journal
of the eyictions on Lord Lansdowne's
estat& He then described the incl
dents attending some of the evictions,
in which the aged and infirm were
thrown out of their cabins, helpless
| in tbs snow and rain. He proceeded:
The Luggacurran tenants were honest,
peaceful and inoffensive. So far as
crime is concerned, the locality is SIM
ply stainless. During those baroarous
evictions not blow was struck, no
people ever done that they should
deserve to be robbed of house
and land2 They simply sought
an abatement in their rents,
abatements less than Earl Cow
per's royal commission, a landlord
commission appointed by Tory gov
eminent, declared to be equitable;
less than the land commission
courts are granting on neighbor-
ing estates, and finally the reductions
to which Lord Lansdowne's own
arbitrator, Mr.. Denning gave his assent
and approval in black and white. The
next news we got from Ottawa was that
Lord Landsdowne threatened us
with q hot, if not a bloody
reception, if we ventured to
Canada to proclaim the wrongs
of the Irish tenantry. I appeal to the
people of Canada against Lord Lans-
doWne's savage sentence against the
whole peaceable population. Sub
stantislly the Canadian flag tioated
over the evicting army, and it was
Canadian money that hired tie
emergency men" to do their dread
full work. 1 call upon you to free the
canadian name from this, and TO let
Lord Lansdowne and the world know
that when Canada stretches out an arm
to Ireland, it Is not to, wound or
lsubjugate her, bat to ssye her.